Combined rocking and rolling chair



Feb, 13, 1923* 1,445,453. J. N. SHELLER. COMBINED ROCKING AND ROLLINGCHAIR,

FILED AUG.3I| 1922.

A TTORNEYv Fatented Feb. 13, 1923.

LMSASB JOHN N. SHELLER, OF SOLDIERS HOME, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINED ROCKING- AND ROLLING CHAIR.

Application filed August 31, 1922. Serial No. 585,443.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Joint N. SI-IELLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Soldiers Home, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCombined Booking and Rolling Chairs, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to combined rocking and stationary chairs, and arolling chair, and has for one of its objects to provide a device ofthis character which may be quickly changed from a rocking or stationarychair to a rolling chair without detaching any of its parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter, which may be quickly and easily changed from an ordin-aryrocking or stationary chair to a rolling chair by the occupant withoutrising therefrom.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention:--

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a part of aconventional rocking chair, with the improvement attached and inelevated or inoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the improved attachment indepressed or operative position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The improved device may be applied to chairs of various forms and sizes,but for the purpose of illustrationv is shown applied to a conventionalrocking chair .in which 10 represents the seat portion, 11 the legs, .12the rounds or brace members, and 13 the rockers. The rockers are formedwith longitudinally directed sockets in their lower faces to receiveyieldable bearing members 14:, preferably of inflatable tubularconstruction to form cushioned bearing elements beneath the rockers, toabsorb the jars and concussions, as will be obvious. Each of the tubularcushion members will preferably be provided with an air valve indicatedat 15, whereby they may be inflated and are secured in any suitablemanner to the rockers, for instance by holding bolts indicated at 16.

Attached to the lower face of the seat portion 10 are bearings 17 inwhich a rock shaft 18 is mounted for oscillation, and depending from theshaft are hangers 19 carrying an axle member 20 upon which carrierwheels 21 are mounted, the latter preferably provided with yieldabletires 22, as shown.

One of the rounds 11, for instance the rear round, is pierced as shownat 23, and mounted to swing at 24- to the axle 20 and passing throughthe opening 23, is an operating bar 25, the latter preferably curvedupwardly at the rear or free end as at 26 and provided with a liftingring 27.

Formed in the lower face of the bar 25 are spaced notches 28 and 29, toalternately engage the lower side of the opening 23, and thus hold theswinging frame and the bearing wheels in either one of two positions.

The bar 25 is also provided with a leaf spring 30 operative to hold thebar and its attachments yieldably in either one of its two positions.

lVhen the chair is to be used in the ordinary manner, either as a rockeror as a stationary chair, the bar 25 is disposed with its notch 28 inengagement with the bottom of the opening 23, or with the wheels 2122above the line of the rockers or the chair 1 frame, as shown in Fig. 1,so that they do not interfere with the ordinary uses of the chair.

If the chair is to be transformed into a rolling chair, the outer curvedend 26 of the bar is elevated to release the notch 28 when the framecarrying the wheels will drop by gravity until they engage the floor,indicated at 31. Then the occupant of the chair by simply exerting aslight pushing force rearwziirdly against the body of the chair willcause the wheels and the swinging frame to serve as a fulcrum to elevatethe chair and move the bar 25 forwardly until the notch 29 engagesthebottom of the opening 23, as shown in Fig. 2, and lock the chair inelevated position and supported entirely by the wheels.

The stationary or rocking chair is thus quickly transformed into arolling chair by the simple act of the occupant slightly elevating therear end of the bar 25 and pushing the chair rearwardly to cause theswinging frame and its wheels to assume the position shown in Fig. 2,

The bar 25 with its notches may be arranged to coact with one of theforward rounds instead of one of the rear rounds, but this would notconstitute a departure from the principle of the invention.

The improved device is simple in construction, and can be adaptedwithout material structural change to chairs of various forms and sizes.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawingsand set forth in the specification, but it will be understood thatmodifications within the scope of the claimed invention may be made inthe construction without departing from the principle of the'inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:-

1. The combination with a rocking chair including a rear transversebrace provided with an opening, of an adjustable rocking frame elementdepending from the seat portion of the chair and including an axlemember provided with a pair oi wheels, and an adjustable lever armpivotally connected to said member and extending rearwardly through saidopening and provided with means overlapplng the lower wall oi saidopening for maintaining said element in ad justed position.

2, The combination with a rocking chair including a rear transversebrace provided with an opening, of an adjustable rocking frame elementdepending from the seat portion of the chair and including an axlemember' providedwith a pair of wheels, an adjustable lever arm pivotallyconnected to said member and extending rearwardly through said openingand provided with means overlapping the lower wall of said opening formaintaining said element in adjusted position, and a resilient elementcarried by said lever and cooperating with the upper wall of saidopening for maintaining the lever in adjusted position.

3. The combination with a rocking chair, of a rock shait supported fromthe seat of the chair, angularly adjustable hangers depending from saidshaft, an axle member carried by said hangers, wheels mounted on theaxle member, and a lever pivotally connected to said member andextending rearwardly from a rear brace 01 the chair, said lever providedwith a means at a plurality of points throughout its length capable oioverlapping said brace to maintain said hangers vertically disposed orat an angle causing thereby the shifting of the wheels into and out oicontact with the supporting surface of the chair, thereby elevating andlowering the chair.

l. The combination with a rocking chair, of a rock shaft supported fromthe seat of the chair, angularly adjustable hangers depending from saidshaft, an axle member *arried by said hangers, wheels mounted on theaxle member, a lever pivotally connected to said member and extendingrearwardly from a rear brace of the chair, said lever provided with ameans at a plurality of points throughout its length capable ofoverlapping said brace to maintain said hangers vertically disposed orat an angle causing thereby the shifting of the wheels into and out ofcontact with the supporting surface of the chair, thereby elevating andloweri'ng the chair, and a resilient element carried said lever andfrictionally engaging with the rear brace of the chair and maintainingthe lever in its adjustedposition.

In testimony whereof, I aii'ix my signature hereto.

JOHN N. SHELLER.

